This Is What Dior Looks Like Without Raf Simons

Paris's haute couture fashion week is upon us, and with bated breath fashion experts and fashion lovers alike awaited today's most significant difference in the schedule: Dior's first haute couture show (since 2012) without Raf Simons at the helm, following the designer's departure back in October last year.

So was the trailblazing Belgian's epoch completely over? Not entirely. The casualness and modernity that he imbued into the upper echelons of this once fusty society were certainly in check. Perhaps it was common ground with the seven nameless designers who are now tending to the storied Parisian fashion house, or perhaps it was inevitable in order to keep the couture fashion world alight and thriving. Either way, highly decorative dresses ticked all of the traditional boxes in terms of craftsmanship, but they were nonchalantly shrugged off shoulders or layered over fine gauge knits and under trinket-like necklaces.

Many of the house codes were plain to see—the classic black Bar jacket, for example, making an appearance covered in glistening sequins and paired with a pencil skirt as well as tailored trousers. The whole? Futuristic and ladylike but ever-so-slightly—purposefully and noticeably more than we imagine Simons would ever present—sloppy. Perfect for the girls who like to take their couture kicked-back and eeeasy.

Click through the gallery to see Dior's S/S 16 couture show...

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(Image credit: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

What do you think of Dior's new look? Shop the brand's latest in-store pieces here.

Hannah Almassi
Editor in Chief

Hannah Almassi is the editor in chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits.

Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.